Improvement in lathe-vises



J. B. LOW.

Improvement in Lathe-Vises.

N0. 128,641,q Patentedluly2,1872'.

UNITED STATES JOEL B. LOW, OF RAVENNA, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN LATHE-VISES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 128,641, dated July 2, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOEL BACON Low, of Ravenna, in the county of Portage and State of Ohio, have invented an Improved Lathe- Vise or Bolt-Holder; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved vise, showing the tool-post disconnected from its carriage; and Fig. 2, a side elevation of the same attached to the toolcarriage of a metal-lathe.

Similar letters of reference in the accompanying drawing denote the same parts.

In the operation of metal-working lathes the devices heretofore employed for holding bolts, while cutting threads upon them with a boltcutter, have usually been made to work on a carriage constructed and geared especially for the bolt-holder, and sliding on separate ways, the whole being a distinct machine from any part of the lathe, and requiring the removal of the lathe-tool carriage before it can be applied, thus involving labor, inconvenience, expense, and loss of time.

The object of this invention is, first, to provide for public use a cheap, simple, and convenient instrument which can be used in con nection with the lathe-tool carriage either as a rest for bolts while cutting threads upon them, or as a holder for drills and other lathetools in ordinary use, and which can be readily and easily attached to or detached from the carriage and, secondly, to provide a rest for the bolts while they are held by the instrument, which will adjust itself to their varying diameters; and my invention consists in' the combination of means for accomplishing these ends, substantially as I will now proceed to describe.

In the accompanying drawing, A represents a vise, which, is composed of the sliding jaw B, the stationary jaw O, the screw and nut barrel D, and the hand-wheel E, all being of common construction. The stationary jaw (J is provided with a horizontal lug, E, which projects from one side, and has a slot, F, of sufficient size to pass over the head of the toolpost G of an ordinary lathe-carriage, H. When applied to the tool-post, as above, the lug rests upon an enlargement or collar about midway of the post, and is confined by a key, I, which is driven through the mortise in which the tool is usually held, the lug being thus clamped between the collar and key, as shown in Fig. I. The key is held by the ordinary set-"screw L. The inner sides of the jaws B O areprovided with transverse grooves a a, which act as holders to prevent the vertical displacement of the bolt or other article between said jaws. The grooves a are therefore the bearing-surfaces of the jaws, and a circular object held therein will have its center in line with said grooves. M is a plate, pivoted at one end to the side of the sliding jaw B, its opposite eild resting on an offset, N, on the opposite jaw, as shown in Fig. 1. The curvature of the edges of the plate M is such that the highest point of its upper edge always touches the lowest radius of a circle whose center is midway between the grooves a a or, in other words, a circular bolt held between said grooves will be supported at three points, viz: the grooves a a and the upper edge of the plate M. These parts maintain the same relative position to whatever extent the jaws are separted, the free end of the plate M dropping as the jaws recede, and vice versa, thus lowering or raising -its upper edge in proportion to the separation of the jaws.

Fromthis description of my invention it will be readily seen that it can be attached with the utmost facility to a tool-carriage in such manner as to cause the barrel D to extend transversely across the lathe-bed, as shown in Fig. 2, thus adapting the jaws to support a bolt longitudinally during the application of the bolt-cutter, and constituting an adjustable rest in line with the mandrels, the whole deviceoperating with equal perfection, whether the bolt or the bolt-cutter be rotated.

The device can be adjusted with all the ease of the ordinary vise without interfering with the movement of the tool-carriage, the camrest or plate M always automatically regulat ing itself as above stated, so that the work cannot possibly fall below the horizontal line of the mandrels.

The vise may be attached to the tool-carriage by means of a bolt and nut, instead of 1. The vise A, provided with the grooved the manner shown, when the construction of jaws a, and cam-shaped plate M, substantially the lathe requires a difit'erent attachment. as described, for the purpose specified.

- Its uses in an ordinary machine-shop are 2. The vise A, provided with the slotted lug varied and important, inasmuch as by its em- E, in combination with the tool-post G, and ployment many useful tools can be grasped operated substantially as described.

and held firmly in almost any position, which JOEL B. LOW. could not be made available by the ordinary appliances. Witnesses:

What I claim as new, and desire to secure M. STUART,

by Letters Patent, is-- JOSEPH WAGGENER. 

